Coal Dust Angels

By: Kimberly Koon

Months have come and go yet the pain that was felt in the beginning of the year still lingers with me. As I sit and watch my new children open their still fragile eyes to see the sights of this world, my mind wonders back to the memories of the past.  We were in the process of packing up room of our belongings to move them, when I came across my journal and a few scrapes of newspaper.

It was October 2nd when my wife Kathi and I said our wedding vowels. We were married in a small West Virginia town where the population could fit in the local shopping square. That was the happiest of days. I was a local coal miner in the mines that was located just outside of town. It family tradition was for the son to follow his father footsteps and continue on in that line of work. The months seemed to drag on from one day to the next.

Then the end of the year came. My wife had a doctor's appointment and surprised me when I came home from the mine. We were now expecting children.  She would be finding out the sex of the baby in a month. I planned on going to work and make the announcement. However that announcement would have to wait.

The morning of January 2nd I went to work as I normally do. I kissed Kathi on the lips and told her I would see her that evening when I arrived home. I arrived at work at 5:30 in the morning, and punched in and I meet up with the other miners on my crew. I loaded my lunch bucket and other equipment in to the man car to beginning the day. I looked at my watch and the time was six in the morning. My wife was getting ready for the day that laid ahead of her, and I was entering the mine. It had rained a bit in the course of the night and we paid no attention to the wet muddy ground under our boots.

We climbed in to the car that was our transportation into the dark foreboding hole that was cut deep into the mountain side by our fathers. I thought back to my first day in the mine. I can still hear my father's voice as he told me to be careful.

"Son, the mine is good money, but hard work. Sometimes the mine will claim a few of her workers and take them home."

The mine in the past had claimed three men when the mine was young. Many of the miners were devote Christians, who gave prayers over us to make sure we would return home to our loved ones.  Joe Green led this morning's prayer and drew a cross in the coal dust on the side of the car.

Once in the mine our fire boss, Mike Henson climbed off the man car and started his job of securing the mine. Mike was a good man and a great father. He would hold football parties when the state team went to the bowl games. I turned and the last time I would see him, he was checking the track.

We all climbed out of the man car and grabbed our things and begin the track to the spot where we would be mining for the day. Seconds after we started to walk away there was an explosion. I was knocked off my feet as smoke and bits of coal flew from the blast. Joe raced over to my side as I fell forward. I looked back but could not see a thing. The smoke cloud pushed us back to a small pocket in the side of the wall near the back of the mine.  We used our training to erect a barrier between us and the cloud. We were trapped.

Outside the mine the second crew was heading in to start their shift when the explosion happened. Their fire boss Leroy Jackson was thrown back as the cloud of smoke and coal bellowed out of the mine.

"Someone call 911 and the owner. There has been an explosion!" he shouted as a fellow miner ran to the office. "God help us now." He prayed.

The blast shook through the hill sides and was felt in the town itself. Kathi looked at the dishes on the wall of the trailer as the dishes shook crazy. She knew something had happened, but she did not know what.

The clock on the wall read 6:30 a.m. when the trailer shook. The mine owner called the mine rescue team in, but they were located over two hours away.

Inside the mine, Joe prayed, and Kyle Smith ventured out from behind the safety of the barricade. He returned shortly with a small sledge hammer. I looked around and saw that Davis and Derris Coals were taking turns sharing the air apparatus. Luke Kendrix shared his with Joe. Those whose breathing apparatuses were not working shared. Doug Richterson pulled a small memo pad out of his lunch bucket. He tore each of us off a piece of paper from the spiral pad. There were thirteen of us on the man car counting Leroy, but there was only twelve in the barricade. We did not know what happened to Mike. We breathed slowly and wrote notes to our families. My note to my dear wife was a sad one.

My dearest wife,

"I don't know how to tell you everything I need to say".     I looked at what I had written and I began to cry. I looked around and I seen that the brothers was sleeping peacefully and Joe had also began to cry as he was writing his letter. I started to get sleepy myself and I laid my head down on the cold coal dust covered ground and I shut my eyes.

Outside the mine....

Kathi was at her doctor's office in town when the call came in to the office about the mine. The doctor was the one who had told her. As she raced to the car another one of the trapped miner's wife Crystal meet her at her car.

"Kathi, we are meeting at the church. I came to get you so you would have someone with you."

"Thanks Crystal. Let's go."

As Kathi and Crystal arrived at the church they were greeted by the preacher and his wife. They hugged and comfort them to the best of their abilities. More of the mines families started to arrive as well as local people to help. It was now 9 a.m. and still no word had come from the mine.

Inside the mine..

I opened my eyes and looked around. By now more of us were sleeping and there was three who Joe had said the Lord's Prayer for. I shook my head and I Looked at Joe who by now was lying on the ground too. Derik was working on his letter to his wife and family when I shut my eyes again. I let my mind wonder about my wife.

Inside the church...

More and more people had shown up at the church and began to pray and sing worship songs to try and lift up our spirits and keep the thoughts good. I was on my knees praying when the governor for our state placed his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him with my tear streaked eyes.

"They will come out all right. The Lord is with them."

I looked at him and then went back to my prayers. He knelt down next to me and proceeds to pray with me. The governor looked up at the painting of Jesus that hung over the near the wooden cross on the wall. A man came over to the alter and touched the governor on the shoulder and he stood up and walked with the man. I looked up at the painting. "Please be with them and let them make it out safely."

Around 5:51 p.m on January 2nd rescuers entered the mine. Reporters had caught wind of this disaster, and had swarmed to report this to the world.  The governor ordered the state police to keep the reporters away from the church to not place more stress upon the families from the whirlwind of the media. The barricade of reporters was a thousand feet away. The single lane county road was filled with news trucks parked along the sides.

The local businesses donated food and supplies to the church and to the rescuers who work hard to find someone alive. The mine rescue team drilled a hole to test the air levels in the mine. What the test reveiled discouraged our hope. The carbon monoxide levels were at an elevated high. If the equipment was still working it would be a miracle.

The governor and the mine owner were asked to make a statement to the press. The mine owner went first.

"In light of what has happened there will be an investigation to find out the cause of this." He said.

"What about the reports that this mine has had numerous violations and citations in the last year alone. Close to at least 600 if not more?" A reporter asked

"The mine was a safe working environment and the mine itself was up to code. This was just a bad accident and we will know the cause after and investigation has been issued and completed. That is all." His total statement was only about five minutes long.

As soon as the owner finished the governor cleared his throat and walked up to the podium. He looked at the officers and he knew this would be the hardest thing for him in his term as office.

"I came as soon as I was notified about the disaster. My place is here with this community to help pray and give support to the families of the thirteen miners who is trapped in this mine. I know that time is not on our side but we stand together and we are praying for a miracle that one or all of them will walk out of the mine shaken but unharmed. I have issued and order for the state police to keep the media at least six hundred feet away from the church where the families wait for news of their loved ones. Please respect this order and keep distance. You will be arrested on the spot. Our prayers go to the miners and our hope will not be diminished. We will stand tall and united in this disaster. Thank you for your time and you will be notified as soon as we find out any more information."

As soon as he said that one of his aids came running in and touched his shoulder. The governor leaned over as the aid whispered some thing in his ear. His hand covered the microphone as the aide told him the news. He looked at the aide and shook his head. This was not going to be the type of news he wanted received to tell.

"We have just received word that the rescue team has entered the mine and is now about two miles is underground has found one body. This body was close to transport the miners use to go in an out of the mine. The identity of the miner is still yet to be determined. However there is good new the transport does not show signs of damage and is still on the track. No items have been found in the car. So the disaster happened after the team had exited the car. So we ask that you pray now for a miracle. Thank you for your time." With that the governor left and went back to the church to speak with the families.

More and more locals came to offer comfort and prayers. The press would catch one or a couple of locals and get their say on the disaster. Some said the famous no comment line, where some was angry with the media, and others told them to mind their own business and leave. However, there was a few who would talk to the press in all of their glory, thinking they would be able to say they got interviewed by the press when it was over.

Inside the mine..

It was quite. I laid still my body was hurting. Everyone around me was either a sleep or had passed. I slowly took some deep breaths and then closed my eyes. It was all I could do. I knew my time was almost gone.

Inside the church..

When the news came in the church from down at the mine I was in tears. How could this be? Where was my husband? Where were the rest of them? Are they still alive? I looked at Crystal. She took this news the hardest. She knew it was Mike. It was his job as the fire boss to make sure the track was ok. She fell to the floor screaming the tears flowing from her hazel eyes. Everyone stopped talking as the preacher begun to sing and laid his hand on her shoulder. The governor arrived back at the church shortly after the news was announced.

"We are praying for a miracle now. It is in the Lord's hands." With that he joined in on the singing of Amazing Grace.

It was early morning hours on the 3rd of January, when the second news came to the church. The rescuers had found the barricade where the rest of the thirteen miners were. However what was told was not the truth. A report came to the church saying the miners were found and they would be walking in to the church in an hours time. The governor looked at the aide and took off for the mine.

The bells of the church started to ring out in to the morning with good news. I looked at Crystal. I knew she was trying to be strong as Mike would have wanted, but I also knew it was killing her. She walked over to where I was sitting and hugged me. I felt the baby kick as soon she touched me. I was glad this would all be over with.

An ambulance raced from the mine entrance. It needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Its cargo was the only survivor out of the explosion. I saw lights as I opened my eyes slowly. I did not know were I was at. I thought I too had died just as my fellow miners. I could hear voices but I could not make them out. I shut my eyes again. The paramedics worked hard to stabilize his vitals for the trip to the local hospital.

Chaos erupted after two hours went by. We all looked and waited for news of our loved ones. We saw the one lone ambulance leave with lights and sirens blaring. The phone rang and the news was terrible. The rescuers found eleven bodies, but there was in miracle. One was found alive, and his rebreather was still working where the others had quite.  There was going to be answers as the local people started to get hatful. How this could have happened? Who called from the mine with the report the twelve of them was still alive? Where was the mines owner during all of this?

The crowd of media pushed forward as screams was heard at the church. Everyone came running. Seven local people was arrested for starting a lynch mob to go after the mines owner. The preacher came out front and gave a statement.

"Friends, Families and members of the media, we would like to thank you all for your concern, prayers, and comfort you have all have given."

Then the governor appeared by his side. He too needed to say the news to the press.

"We asked for a miracle, and our prayers were heard. We have one lone miracle in light of what happened. The rescue team has found the twelve trapped miners, eleven of the miners have passed on, but one still is fighting for life. He is on his way to the local hospital where as soon as he is stable he will be transported to the university hospital. His apparatus was still working when the rescue team found him."

When I was told about the news I fell to the floor crying. I did not know who the rescue team had found or if he would live the night. A police officer came to me and asked me to come with him. I looked at him like he was crazy. He said it was important that I go with him to the hospital. I got to my feet and we left out the back doors to the church to keep me away from the media.

On the drive to the hospital I was told the good news, my husband was the survivor and he was being taken to University hospital and hour away. He was stable for the rip but he was being taken by helicopter to get him there faster. The police officer ran with lights and sires the whole way to University hospital and hour away. When we arrived I was shown where his room was in the intensive care unit. The officer stayed outside my husband?s door as security during the time he was in the hospital. I sat down and held his hand.  I looked at his face as he lay in the bed. Tubes were everywhere, and I started to cry. I continued my prayers until the doctor came in to the room.

"Well there is more good news. He will be fine. The carbon monoxide did not do extensive damage and he is now on the road for recovery. Keep in mind he will never be able to go back to the mine again. We still have yet to do the psychiatric exams to make sure there was no mental scaring, but physically he is fine."

It was over a month and he showed signs of improvement. He was transfer to another room then two months later he was released. I placed a copy of all the newspaper clippings in my husband's journal so he would have something in the future. I knew he would remember this always but it would be something for our children to see.

A few years has passed since January 2nd and 3rd, yet the memories of what had happened still linger fresh in my mind. Even now as I sit and watch my children play in the yard. I will never forget what has happened nor will anyone in our state forget.

To this day no one will forget the coal dust angels.

In memory of the miners

who lost their lives in the

mine explosion in

Sago, WV

on January 2nd 2006.